Nuria Roca shared, last Sunday in the program she presents on La Sexta, La Roca, the dynamic she practices with her husband Juan del Val: the marital summer sabbatical. This concept, also known as a vacation break for your partner and children, has generated great curiosity about its benefits and applications.
This dynamic, which was named this way in the United States, has gained notoriety among influential people. Beyond the Spanish television couple, on the other side of the ocean Celia Walden and the journalist Piers Morgan also practice it and explained it in an article that she published in The Telegraph after taking six weeks off from her marriage. But what does this term really entail and why do some couples choose to take these periods of temporary separation?
In statements to Hello!, the psychologist, sexologist and director of Psicopartner Ángel Luis Gillén, addressed the possible benefits of this type of rest in a relationship, highlighting that distance provides perspective, allowing both parties to rediscover their independence and strengthen their self-esteem. However, he also pointed out that there are risks when third parties cross paths in times of crisis or distancing.
For her part, the psychologist and technical director of Clínicas Origen, Pilar Conde, pointed out that there is another alternative practice called "therapeutic separation." In statements to the aforementioned newspaper, Conde described it as an option where the couple lives separately, but she plans meetings and sessions with a psychologist to turn the separation into a process accompanied by a professional. This technique is considered after previous couples therapy sessions and when significant progress is not achieved.
Although the marital summer sabbatical sounds like a modern practice, writer Cheryl Jarvis pointed out, in her book The marriage sabbatical: the journey that brings you home, that sabbatical breaks in Relationships have existed since the Middle Ages. In addition to telling the story of her own marital gap year, Jarvis tells the stories of 55 other women, such as Harriet Beecher Stowe and Ann Morrow Lindbergh.
This practice has since evolved and, according to Lovehoney Group's 2024 Sex Trends Report, more and more people are consciously choosing sabbatical periods in their relationships to explore personal growth before fully recommitting.
While the marital summer sabbatical and therapeutic separation may not be right for all couples, some experts suggest that taking a sabbatical can help revalue the relationship, appreciate the partner daily, and strengthen commitment through renewed daily decisions about marriage. love and genuine connection.
In addition, open communication, clarity in expectations and mutual respect are essential so that this practice can strengthen relationships and contribute to the personal growth of each individual.
